1908 GAME AND FISHERIES. 49 



There has been no proof of any illegal fishing. 

 There are no fishways in his district. 



Overseer Eduard Fleming, of Hastings, reports that there have not been 

 any violations of the law in his division. The fish were in the marshes very 

 early spawning, and there was little or no spearing done. There were not 

 many big catches this summer, on account of the river being so low, although 

 he thinks the maskinonge and bass were plentiful in the River Trent. 



While deer hunting in the north of Hastings Co., he found the deer 

 plentiful, and is satisfied that the settlers are living strictly up to the law. 

 They told him that the wolves were very destructive among the deer last 

 winter, in fact, one settler told him that he had to knock eight deer on the 

 head that had been torn and were on the ice and could not live. 



Overseer William Gainforth, of Halihurton, reports that there are no 

 fishery licenses issued in his district, and no fishing done except by settlers 

 for their own use. 



There are no fish exported. 



No abuses exist. 



The close seasons were well observed. He visited the different lakes 

 several times during close season. 



No violations of the Act came to his notice, and there were no fines 

 imposed. 



The Act respecting mill refuse was observed. 



There are no fishways in his district. 



Overseer J. W. Gibson, of Strathroy, reports that there are no licenses 

 issued in his district. There are two sawmills, but they do not put their 

 sawdust into the stream. He has had some trouble with different parties 

 putting rubbish on the banks of the stream when inside of the town limits. 

 He told them he would fine them unless they removed the nuisance at once. 



The anglers there have had fairly good sport with pike and many differ- 

 ent kinds of bass. There is abundance of rock bass, and chub as large as 

 a medium sized lake herring. Black bass are scarce, but carp is very abund- 

 ant, and he cannot see that they do much damage. 



The quail have had a good fall, as the season was as dry as summer, and 

 the dogs could not find the birds, so there are lots of them left. There are 

 a few partridge left, but not many. He has got the pot hunters afraid of 

 the law. 



Taking it all together, everything is in good shape in his district. 



Overseer James Gillespie, of Berkeley, reports that his duties are more 

 particularly confined to looking after inland streams and small lakes, and 

 preventing the netting of speckled trout in those; also to see that the close 

 season for those fish is observed. He has every reason to believe that the 

 law is being fairly well observed. People in the vicinity of lakes and streams 

 where brook trout are, tell him that they have very little reason to suspect 

 anyone of netting now, although it was much indulged in a few years ago, 

 and claim that it is due to the fact that they know there is an overseer and 

 believe they are being watched. The same may be said of the close season, 

 which he believes is being observed, no violation of the Act having 

 come to his knowledge. 



He is not aware of any fishway in his district, nor has the pollution of 

 any stream by sawdust or mill rubbish been brought to his notice. 



He has reason to believe that the close season for game has been fairly 

 well observed in that part. There was some uncertainty about the shooting 

 of grouse and partridge. He had the notices sent from the Department dis- 



4 G F. 



